


10 Year Reunion

by faerienya



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Character Death, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-31
Updated: 2018-04-02
Packaged: 2019-02-24 13:21:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13214622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/faerienya/pseuds/faerienya
Summary: 10 years ago, the Rugby World Cup came to France and with it came Marinette's high school sweetheart Adrien Agreste. However, numerous circumstances and family problems separate them for 10 long years. When they reunite, how will they reconcile and move forward from their past?Based on the Korean drama series "Wild Chives and Soybean Soup: 12 Years Reunion" (or 12 Years Promise for Netflix title).





	1. Heavy

 

A heaviness sat in the air on September 7, 2007, as Marinette’s burly father, Tom Dupain, crossed a busy road in the Parisian streets on a warm yet seemingly cloudy day. It was the kind of heaviness that sat in the air before spells of rain painted the streets from twilight to evening.

Paris had been preparing for what was going to be a grand event, the hosting of the Rugby World Cup. The city was bustling with excited crowds and plenty of loud, proud fans from every corner of the globe. It had been a particularly good day for business at the Tom & Sabine Boulangerie Patisserie. Regular patrons and tourists alike came together to have a taste of the best breads and pastries in town.

In fact, this particularly grand event swept through Paris like a craze, bringing out the patriot in every Frenchman. Tom and Sabine knew this meant World Cup inspired pastries and plenty of orders for the celebrations of the opening ceremony that night. Tom had finished the last order, four boxes worth of macarons, decorated to make the French flag. The customer had insisted they were far too busy to collect the order and so Tom took it upon himself to deliver them and thank them for their patronage.

It was no trouble carrying four boxes for him. He was more sizeable than most men, with a huge upper body. A tourist had joked with him earlier in the day that he could have played on the French team, it had earned a half-hearted chuckle from him; it wasn’t anything he hadn’t heard before.

It was mid-summer in Paris and the crowds of fans only seemed to make the air seem warmer than usual. Tom felt a bead of sweat slide down his forehead, the feeling was rather uncomfortable but there was nothing he could do to wipe away the sweat as he carried the box down the street. The crowds parted before him like Moses parting the Great Sea but his eyes concentrated purely on the boxes and not dropping them to crash on the ground like a confetti of French disappointment.

There were cars held up at every turn for crowds as they crossed the streets at a crawling pace, their chants and cheers competing with the frustrating driver’s car horns. Tom, with his eyes fixated on the boxes, made his way cautiously onto the road, darting his eyes up quickly to see the building his final order was to be delivered to. He was the last to cross the road in the crowd, the light flashed an impatient red, _hurry, hurry_ it would say with each blink. Tom was committed to causing the least amount of damage to the delicate package he was delivering.

However, he had failed in his concentration to see a car impatiently burst its way in his path. The screeching of the tires and the shattering of glass would be the last thing Tom heard that fateful afternoon. The heavy air was filled with screams and the light, tainted smell of blood as Tom lay on the road, dead.

* * *

 

 

Marinette came home to the unusual site of a completely empty bakery, void of its usual crowd. Her mother stood in shock behind the counter, phone in hand, listening closely to every word coming from the other end of the line. Marinette looked at her mother with a puzzled expression only to be met with a devastatingly tragic face from Sabine.

The phone dropped to the ground, clashing loudly on the floor as Sabine reached for Marinette. She pulled her very confused daughter into a tight hug. Despite her small frame, she had incredible strength in her arms, squeezing the life out of Marinette.

“M…om” Marinette croaked out, Sabine loosened her grip, tears staining her cheeks. “It’s your father…” Sabine could barely swallow her own words. Marinette let out a small gasp.

“Did something happen to dad?” her voice quavered. After many deep breaths, Sabine finally found the self-control to tell Marinette more.

“Your father… was in an accident.” Sabine found the overwhelming crash of grief hit like a wave in her chest. Marinette gasped, “he’s… okay though, right?” she gulped. Sabine looked into her daughter’s eyes, seeing tears beginning to form as panic set in. Sabine explained everything in her own time as they rushed into a taxi and took what felt like an eternity to reach the police station.

Marinette was told to wait while her mother looked at Tom’s body, identifying it and processing all the necessary legal work. She was too shocked to even process what was going on. Her father had been in an accident; he was dead, he wasn’t coming back. They’d had such a pleasant morning together, as usual, laughing and smiling, talking about the big opening ceremony in the evening. She couldn’t believe that her father was just _gone_.

Marinette was snapped from her train of thought by a group of policemen huddled around a small television. They cheered as France scored another point in the match. She saw their smiling faces and imagined how the rest of France would feel this night; united as one in the name of sport and France, oblivious to the tight knot in her chest, or the dry feeling in her throat. They didn’t know how wet her cheeks were from her tears or how puffed and sore her eyes felt. In that moment, Marinette felt incredibly alone in the world with nothing but the drudging company of other people’s joy and laughter.

_So much for a momentous occasion for the world to witness. So much for all this happiness, he’s gone! And yet the world just keeps spinning like it never happened._

She felt completely disconnected from any positive feelings, instead staring intensely at the desk in front of her. An officer sat down opposite her, startling her to his attention. Looking up, she noticed her mother move into the room to sit beside her. She took hold of Marinette’s hand, it was a gentle, cooing touch, as if to say, _we can get through this_.

“Ms Cheng, there were many witnesses to what happened and we can easily build a case against the driver.” He was quite curt for someone talking to a grieving family. “You don’t need to be there for any of the court proceedings but we do ask that you sign the necessary paperwork when the time comes.” Marinette’s mother sniffled, her grip tightened on Marinette’s hand.

“Tomorrow, you’ll need to register his death certificate, we understand that this is a very difficult time for you-” his monotone lecture was drowned out by Marinette’s own musings. This situation, no matter how impossible or insane it seemed, was completely real. There was absolutely no way around it, inside or out; and yet Marinette still couldn’t grasp the gravity of her loss. Everything was shattering around her.

* * *

 

 

After three days, the feeling of complete helplessness had settled in like dust in Marinette’s life. It seeped into every corner of house, where the smell of flour and sugar was soaked into every wall; it was a bitter reminder of her father’s sorely felt absence. Her mother was barely keeping it together through mixed bouts of sobbing and hard-lined planning for the funeral. As the news of Marinette’s father’s death spread amongst friends and customers, the overwhelming messages of support only served to isolate Marinette further.

It wasn’t until that evening, that Marinette went downstairs to see her mother, dishevelled at the kitchen counter as she read through the many funeral arrangements.

“Mom…” Marinette’s voice was soft and quiet, “you don’t need to do that now.” She poured a glass of water for her mother and sat down next to her at the countertop.

Sabine let out a deep sigh and smiled weakly at Marinette, both noted it a poor attempt to diffuse the sullenness lingering in the room. They sat in silence for a moment, the only sound heard was the light clinking of the glass being set on the counter.

“I’m so sorry Marinette,” her mother paused, mulling over her words, “this must be so hard on you.” She looked up at her mother to see complete defeat to whatever demons she was battling inside. In that moment, Marinette felt the innate sense to protect her mother.

She stepped off her chair, reaching her arms around her mother for a gentle hug. The tears threatened to fall again. Her attempt to hold them back was wasted however as the overwhelming grief turned over inside her.

“Maman, you’re doing your best,” she sobbed into her mother’s shoulder, “we are both doing our best and that’s all we need to do.” Sabine pulled away, wiping her daughter’s tears with her small hands.

She saw in her daughter the same things she loved about her husband: a positive nature, never faltering even in the face of such a tragedy.

“Your father was so proud of you, we both are.” _Was_. It felt wrong to say, like it didn’t belong there. Marinette sensed this was how it would be now. Just the two of them and _was._  

Time felt slower on the day of the funeral. Marinette had been kept up by racing thoughts. She put them to work by sewing all night, focusing on every loop she threaded through her fabric. She felt comforted focusing on her work, it was a welcome distraction as the sun entered the horizon, dyeing the sky in hues of orange, purple and blue.

As the morning rolled by Marinette had sewn an entire dress. The black lace seemed to shine against the light beaming above her through the windows. She felt uncomfortable looking at the dress; it was a strange combination of pride in her creation and devastation that it was made in the first place.

She eyed it down one final time before going to the bathroom. As she looked in the mirror she was greeted by deep bags under her eyes. It was lack of sleep and stress, ageing her beyond her tender 17 years. Her eyes, normally a bright blue, seemed dull.

Her mother came in to see her staring in the mirror. Without hesitation, her mother dampened a face cloth and handed it to Marinette. “We’ll do this together.” Her determination was motivating enough for the two of them to get ready, though nothing but silence lay between the two of them.

Hours later, the ceremony was finally over. What felt like hours of crying and listening to a priest drone on and on about someone they didn’t know, was finally over. Marinette washed her face in the bathroom at the funeral house, she let out a deep breath, letting some of the anxiety insider her escape.

A familiar face stepped out of the cubicle and towards the sink, an awful smirk rested on her thin lips, painted with a lipstick that was far too light for her tanned complexion.   _Chloe_.

“Well if it isn’t Marinette Dupain-Cheng,” the words spat out of her mouth, “or should I call you Marinette Cheng from now on?” She laughed haughtily at her own joke.

_Today is not the day._ _I can’t believe she’s doing this TODAY._ She launched for Chloe, grabbing her blonde, signature pony tail and pulling her to the ground. Chloe yelped at the motion and dug her nails into Marinette’s arm, demanding to be let go.

If Marinette’s eyes were dulled this morning, they were now icy, fuelled by pure disgust for the person in front of her. She moved her hand up, ready to strike Chloe’s precious cheeks. As her hand cut through the air, laying its way down to Chloe’s cheek, she screamed.

“DO YOU EVEN REALISE WHERE YOU ARE?!” Marinette’s voice cracked as she shrieked down at Chloe. Genuine fear glistened in Chloe’s eyes. A loud clap echoed in the room. Chloe felt sharp sting in her cheek, she met Marinette’s rage with equal contempt.  

“Daddy!!” Chloe screamed, even after all these years, she still relied on her father to bail her out of receiving any form of punishment for her actions.

Marinette’s anger surged through every inch of her, it was uncontrollable rage and it left her legs quavering and her arms unsteady. She fell to the floor as Chloe ran for the door. Her chest felt tighter than ever, her heart beating faster as the adrenaline of rage passed through.

She sobbed like a child; she cried for her father, or for anyone to take her home where she could at least throw herself into sewing or any other kind of distraction.

* * *

 

After the incident at the funeral, Marinette didn’t return to school for two weeks. She couldn’t stand the idea of suffering around Chloe or any other classmates for that matter. She knew Chloe would have spun all kinds of lies, sowing the seeds of sympathy to her cause that seemed to be making Marinette’s life a living hell.

She stayed upstairs in her room, letting the world outside spin while time stood still in her own world. She would sleep in random intervals before finding another project to distract her; a hat, a beanie despite it being out of season, a skirt with lace, necklaces and earrings; anything that would keep her hands busy and her mind busier.

However, after two weeks, her mother burst into her room, seeing endless creations left, right and centre. Marinette lay down in the middle of it all, staring up at the ceiling.

“Marinette…” Sabine looked around, before carefully stepping over the endless crafts and opening a window. “you need to let fresh air in or you’ll get sick.” Her gentle tone eased the pain in Marinette’s chest.

“Come on, you’re going to school.” Sabine gently nudged Marinette’s shoulder.

_School_. Marinette shuddered at the idea. In fact, she protested every minute until she was out the door and walking towards lycée. As she reached the doors of the school, she felt sick to her stomach. It was late afternoon meaning school was finished for the day but he mother had forced her out the door to collect assignments, explaining eagerly that the best way to move forward would be getting back into a routine. Marinette had protested the idea, insisting she was fine with her projects but her mother’s relentless persistence meant she couldn’t refuse for too long.

As she walked through the familiar corridors, making her way to her classroom, she noticed how strange it felt to be in school when nobody else was. She felt disconnected from her environment; the walls were covered in flyers and numerous decorations noting the various clubs that were available. She noted the gamers club, library committee and a newer flyer for Chloe’s very own Fashion club which, Marinette presumed, was most likely run by Sabrina. She stopped herself from glaring at the flyer, it only reminded her of the dreaded harpy from her father’s funeral.

She passed the music classrooms but found herself pausing to listen to the sweet melody of a piano. It was the kind of song that could calm a storm or bring a raging river to a lull. Marinette was overcome with curiosity to know who could play such a heartfelt tune. She walked down the hall, the melody drawing closer. The door had been left open and she was greeted by the sight of a someone she had never seen before.

He had shining blond hair; that was the first thing she noticed about him. The second was the way the sunshine from the window illuminated him as his fingers danced across the grand piano. He had strong posture but she had yet to see his face. Entering the classroom, she failed to see a music stand near her and tripped with the grace of an elephant, knocking over the only two music stands in the area. The melody came to a swift halt as the young man turned around, his eyes meeting with the sudden distraction. In turn, Marinette was greeted with the most handsome face she had ever seen. His eyes were bright green and had a gentle nature to them. He had a kind face and she assumed he would have a sweet smile if he was smiling. But he wasn’t, he was currently concerned. Marinette realised her current position and stood up quickly before he had a chance to offer.

“Are you alright?” he queried nervously. She was still too stunned to even take in the situation properly.

“I’m… gorgeous- I mean, yes, I’m fine.” She stuttered at the worst moment possible, kicking herself mentally. _Idiot. Dumbass, oh my God what did you even stutter for?_

He smiled before extending a hand out to her. “I’m Adrien Agreste, a new senior.” Marinette felt her cheeks warm up as their eyes met again. The nagging tightness in her chest faded when he looked at her with such a kind smile.

It took her too long to shake his hands but when she finally did, she felt how large they were compared to her own small ones. His hands felt calloused and warm, his nails were short and… manicured?

After an uncomfortably long time, Adrien coughed and asked her for her name. She pulled away, laughing far too much for the situation.

“I um… I’m Marinette…”


	2. That Would Be Nice

A silence formed between the two of them as Marinette watched the warmth in Adrien’s eyes darken. He looked almost disappointed in her as he turned around, shaking his head. She felt an anxiety rise in her, bubbling somewhere in her stomach.

“Is something wrong?” she queried, her voice shaking. He turned around again, his fists clenched slightly and approached her, their breaths mingling as the distance was closed. Marinette gasped, flinching as his eyes met her own.

“You need to apologise to my friend Chloe.” Marinette was too stunned to come back with any reply as the confusion of his statement connected in her brain. _I need to what?_

“I’ve heard all about what you did to her,” he stepped back, his tone spoke of true disgust, “cornering her in a bathroom and abusing her with all kinds of lies and even _hitting_ her.” He shook his head, struggling to comprehend the thought of it. It was then that, Marinette reached one clear, distinguishable conclusion. This man, no, this boy in front of her was a complete and utter idiot, cut from the same tarnished cloth as Chloe Bourgeois. Whatever anxiety threatened to form was now completely dead, instead replaced with stifled laughter and frustration at the sheer idiocy of his misunderstanding. 

“So you’re Chloe’s friend?” she couldn’t even try to hide her edge of disgust. Adrien, taken aback, expressed his disdain for Marinette based purely on the trusted opinion of Chloe Bourgeois. She couldn’t believe her luck that such a good-looking guy happened to be friends with someone she hated so much that even the thought of her was enough to sour her mood for days.

“Of course, I’m Chloe’s friend and anyone who does wrong by my friends, does wrong by me too.” She had to admire his loyalty but sighed at the disappointment that it was placed with someone like Chloe. She decided it would be best to settle this misunderstanding now.

“Okay, well that’s nice,” Marinette smiled, her tone was sarcastic, “and I’m _clearly_ the villain who has beaten and bruised your princess? Well let me tell you-”

“Adrikins~” A shrill voice cut through the tension and Marinette felt a familiar coldness seep back into her chest. Her eyes widened as she heard the footsteps reach behind her, an audible scoff could be heard as Chloe saw Marinette standing near Adrien.

As soon as Chloe saw Adrien’s face she immediately broke into a cry, crashing into him. “Adrikins, she didn’t say anything mean to you did she,” she played the part of concern perfectly, her overdramatic antics would have boiled Marinette’s blood if she could move past how overwhelmed she was by Chloe’s presence.

“I’m fine, Marinette was just explaining herself by the sounds of it.” Adrien nudged Chloe off him, looking expectantly at Marinette. She grasped inside herself for any edge of confidence and looked to Chloe, seeing the smugness radiating off her. _I can’t do this right now. I need to run._ She turned around and burst out of the classroom and down the stairs. Her thoughts focused on her bed, her room and her mother. She wanted nothing more than to be in the comfort of her home.

“Marinette!” a call from a classroom stopped her in her tracks. She turned around, panting from the adrenaline and saw her best friend Alya. It had been two weeks since she saw her friend, considering the isolation she had put herself under after the events of the funeral. Alya rushed over, seeing tears on Marinette’s cheeks and grabbed her shoulders.

“Are you okay? Why were you running? Wait, what are you doing here?” Alya pressed, question after question. Marinette grabbed her friend in a tight hug as she cried the last of her energy out. Together they stood in the hallway for what felt like an hour. Alya comforted her friend despite the lack of answers and soon led her into the classroom where she had been working on her article for the school newspaper.

“Okay, you need to spill, what on earth is going on with you girl?” Alya had a natural sass to her tone but she truly did care for her friend. Marinette couldn’t contain anything any longer and told her friend everything from the day of the funeral until the events of today.

After the lengthy rant, Alya sighed, “Well here I was thinking Adrien was alright but he doesn’t even have his facts straight.”

Marinette rolled her eyes, a slight smile creeping on her face, “He doesn’t seem like he’s worth the time of day if he can be friends with someone like Chloe.” Alya giggled at that, sensing that Marinette was cheering up.

“Well he’s certainly been popular since he showed up, I’ve been asked nonstop to write a cover story on him but honestly, it hasn’t been easy to get near him because of a certain queen bee.” Alya scrolled through her phone, showing pictures of Adrien. They looked incredibly professional and made him look even more handsome in Marinette’s eyes. She quickly shook the idea out of her head, there was no way she would like someone like him.

“These are all his modelling shots, his dad has employed him since he was young, can you believe that?” Alya’s words were drowned at as Marinette recognised the brand he was modelling. She snatched the phone from Alya’s hands and zoomed in on the logo.

“Wait, don’t tell me…” she gasped as she remembered his greeting. _“I’m Adrien Agreste, a new senior.”_ The name Agreste echoed in her mind and she let out a groan.

“He’s Gabriel Agreste’s son?!” she leapt up, leaving the phone dangling between her fingers like a dirty rag. Alya reached out for the phone, showing more concern towards the damage that could come from Marinette’s signature clumsiness potentially colliding with her shock.

“Hey, watch it, it’s only been a month since I got that phone.” Alya snatched the phone back, clutching it to her chest like a beloved child. Marinette slunk into her chair, resting her head on the desk with a whimper.

“It’s just perfect, I’ve made an enemy out of _the_ Gabriel Agreste’s perfectly proportioned son, what kind of God did I anger to deserve such horrid luck?” Alya leaned over, patting Marinette’s soft hair gently.

“Might I remind you that Chloe made you and Adrien enemies, not you.” Marinette smiled weakly at Alya, “Besides, there are other fashion brands to work for in Paris, how about...” Alya paused, considering Marinette’s preferences, “how about somewhere like Chanel? Classy and innovative, wasn’t she?” Marinette leaned her head against her arms.

“It’s been my dream since I was a kid to work for Gabriel Agreste, I was even going to apply for an internship before school went back but then…” She paused, unable to finish the thought. Alya put her arm around Marinette. “It’s okay, baby steps.” Marinette sighed, trying to let the grief subside.

“Oh, you never told me,” Alya started, moving the conversation forward, “why did you come to school this afternoon?” Marinette’s eyes widened with the realisation that she had missed her entire purpose of coming to school in the first place.

“Crap, Alya, what time is it?” Alya clicked her phone, savvy as always and pronounced it was the humble time of 4.45pm. Marinette cursed her luck for what felt like the 100th time that day and stood up. “I was supposed to collect classwork, oh man, do you think the teacher’s might still be around?” Alya smirked at her friend’s panic and pulled out her class tablet. “Hey girl, I got you don’t worry, I’ve been collecting your assignments in a folder for you, I was going to send you them but I wanted to wait ‘til you came back.” Marinette sat down again, washed over with relief and hugged her friend letting out an excited squeal.

“You really are the best, thank you.”

* * *

Marinette came back to school the following week, having spent her remaining time at home throwing herself back into designing endeavours and her school work. While she was content with Alya sending her homework and assessments, her mother had once again insisted that she was jeopardising herself by continuing her absence. And so, it was decided that she would return to school on the fourth week of the new school year, approximately one month after the passing of her father.  


When she returned, she almost wished she hadn’t. Alya had warned her about Chloe’s antics around the school following the incident in the piano room and upon returning to school, Marinette had been appointed two new bullies. Specifically, Sabrina and Kim.

Starting with her first step back into school, she greeted Alya and was prepared to greet Nino when she saw none other than Adrien Agreste himself standing next to him. She couldn’t have tried to hold back her disdain for him in that moment and gave a curt hello to Nino before walking on, Alya following behind her with a sorry expression.

“Uh Marinette, you’re not going to help your new reputation if you start giving attitude when Adrien’s around.” Alya explained as they walked to their lockers. Marinette sighed and shrugged nonchalantly making Alya shake her head. Their conversation was stopped however by the gathering of students in the hallways, specifically near Alya and Marinette’s lockers. They pushed through the crowd, Alya leading the way and when she saw Marinette’s locker she gasped.

Marinette’s eyes widened at the sight in front of her. It was littered with trash. Her head spun as she took in the sight before her. Alya’s blood boiled and she turned around, “Who the hell did this?!” Marinette grabbed Alya’s arm, she looked dejected. “It’s fine Alya, I think we both know who’s responsible.” The crowd whispered amongst themselves as they began to disperse. Nino and Adrien walked by, stopping to see the juvenile display at Marinette’s locker. Seeing her defeated face, Nino moved forward and comforted Marinette, which was a welcome gesture. However, she had failed to notice Adrien standing behind her.

“Who did that…?” Adrien stared in shock at the contents in her locker. Marinette felt a anger course inside her and turned around, letting her hurt and frustration pour out.

“Who do you think? Who else in this entire school would do this kind of thing?” She pointed at her locker with exasperation. He looked down, ashamed to think Chloe would be responsible for something like this. He quickly reminded himself of what Chloe had told him however and stood his ground.

“Might I remind you that you really hurt her feelings though. I don’t agree with this one bit but I still think you should… apologise.” His defence became weaker as he noticed the glare from Alya and the awkward shuffling from Nino. Alya opened her mouth prepared to wreck the golden boy, only to be cut short by Nino who gave a quick salutation and led Adrien away.

“Dude, I know it’s been a month but there’s still things you’ve gotta learn about the girls here.” Nino had a lazy arm around Adrien’s shoulder, his tone was kept casual but cautious. Adrien looked back, seeing that Alya was still shooting daggers at him. Marinette on the other hand looked completely drained of all life. Nino led him away from the crowd towards the classrooms.

“You’ve heard about it too though, Chloe said-” Nino cut him off quickly. “First rule: Chloe says a lot of things. Second rule: Marinette is well-respected around here. That should tell you enough about the relationship between them.” Nino looked to Adrien’s eyes for clarification that he understood. Adrien rolled his eyes, sighing.

“Well, I guess that would be believable but what reason does Chloe have to make up that kind of lie? I mean being slapped and called a heartless monster?” Nino laughed at the last part. “I didn’t hear anything about that last part on the day and I don’t think Marinette would say something like that, kind of underestimates her wit.” Adrien was confused more at this point. _What day?_ He stopped Nino just short of the classroom.

“What are you talking about? Were you there when it happened?” Nino looked at Adrien as though he was living under a rock. He lowered his voice and explained.

“Right, my bad, forgot you weren’t there. Marinette’s dad passed away a month ago, Chloe and Marinette had a run-in in the bathroom during the memorial gathering.” Adrien let the new information sink in. The rest of Nino’s words were drowned at as he realised how stupid he had been to not see that he hadn’t considered both sides of the story.

“Wait, so…” Adrien interrupted, “Marinette lost her father?” Nino sighed, “Yeah, I was just explaining that dude, he was hit by a car.” Adrien felt a sick weight sink in his stomach. He felt his own suppressed grief well up, his breath was shaky.

“I’ve fucked up.” He announced. Nino shook Adrien’s shoulder, gaining little response. “Yo, it’s okay you didn’t know.” Adrien shook his head, trying to let the feeling wash over him. But in the end, this news only reminded him of his own grief. He knew exactly how Marinette was feeling. The sadness, the frustration, the emptiness; all of it.

“Adrien.” Nino’s voice was loud enough to shake him from his thoughts. Upon seeing Adrien’s face, laden with distress, Nino gave him a sip of his water and they sat down in class.

Marinette followed in shortly after, as she and Alya made their way up the short steps to an empty desk. She failed to notice a leg move out and promptly tripped, her books scattering on the steps. Adrien, seeing this display unfold, moved quickly grabbing a book for her, as he handed it to her he saw her eyes turn cold and snatch the book away.

A stream of giggles could be heard from none other than Sabrina and Chloe. Adrien turned to them, his frustration growing at this situation. “What was that all about?” Chloe turned to Adrien, a smugness painted in her air. He saw a side in her that he wasn’t particularly fond of.

“I forget that you’re new to these things. She needs to learn that until she apologises, she gets treated how I was treated.” Alya upon hearing this was prepared to let another tirade out when Marinette stopped her.

“It’s not worth the trouble, I just want to get through the day without dealing with this.” Her voice was low. Alya looked back to Chloe, fuelled with frustration. “But Mari, the sooner we do something about it, the sooner this will blow away.” Marinette smiled gently at her friend, always a fighter.

“She’ll forget about it by the end of the week surely.” Marinette shrugged. Alya really didn’t believe her friend but decided to let it slide for the time being.

* * *

The week was torturous for Marinette. From being tripped randomly to the sly comments from Sabrina and Chloe about her clothes, which hit a sore spot in Marinette considering they were designed by herself.  There was the incident during lunch break wherein Kim walked by and pretended to trip, spilling a drink all over Marinette and refusing to apologise.

The classmates were used to Chloe’s antics, having been in the same classes with her for many years and in the end, simply ignored the rumours Chloe attempted to spread and instead focused on helping Marinette transition back in to school life. Mylene, Rose and Juleka organised the class to make a card for Marinette to help her feel more welcome. They easily did this without her knowing, especially with Alya readily distracting her when it came to asking classmates to sign. Nino, upon receiving the card, produced a note which he taped inside the card. He smiled at Adrien as the girls offered for the blond to write in the card. Adrien looked at the card nervously. He had no idea what to write to her, they barely knew each other and their first encounter had been a mess.

“I’m sorry I have no idea what to write.” He returned the card to the girls with a sorry look and they smiled weakly as they moved on.

“You probably should have apologised in the card.” Nino explained with a wink. Adrien turned back, ready to call out the girls only to see Marinette close by and deciding against it. He let out a groan, leaning back in his seat. “I’ve been such a mess lately, I don’t think she’ll forgive me either. Did you see the way she looked at me yesterday when I offered her a handkerchief after Kim spilt juice on her?”

Nino laughed, “Look, if you want to make friends with her and the rest of the class you’re going to need to find an opportunity to explain yourself.” Adrien sat up.

“How am I supposed to do that when she barely tolerates being around me?” Nino winked at his friend, his phone in hand sending a text message to a certain friend.

* * *

Alya sat in an empty classroom, her fingers resting on her keyboard. Her eyes glanced around the room, taking in the tranquillity. A light wind lifted the curtains, sending the balmy summer air towards her and she let out an exasperated sigh – she was tired of waiting for _them_ to show up.

Finally, she heard the door open and awaited the expected company. Nino walked into the room, giving a casual apology to Alya. She didn’t care for such things and promptly approached with her phone. She shoved it in his face, the time displayed clearly 4pm.

“You’re thirty minutes late Nino, this better be worth my time.” Alya huffed, Nino turned, ready to defend himself when Adrien entered the room. Alya saw Adrien come in and turned back to Nino, “You’re not about to ask me something involving a certain friend of mine, are you?”

“Well, that’s what I was hoping to talk to you about.” Nino stumbled the words out, returning her phone, “My buddy Adrien here, he wants to apologise to her.” Nino put his arm around Adrien who smiled at his friend.

“I didn’t know about her father and that’s why I was so quick to…” Adrien paused, overcome with a feeling of shame as he recalled the memory of his first meeting with Marinette, “Anyway, I need your help – I want to fix things with Marinette.” Alya folded her arms, her eyebrow raised in a look of disbelief.

“Well,” she started, but Nino quickly butted in.

“I know it won’t be easy given how Marinette usually is,” he explained, Alya stopped him before he could continue.

“I don’t think either of you are grasping how Marinette feels right now.” She turned her attention to Nino, “You. You’ve been her friend for years; do you even know how she feels with what’s been happening?” Nino seemingly searched for an answer but felt it best to stop talking.

Alya huffed and turned towards Adrien, “As for you – I would suggest you stay away until Chloe’s finished her little tantrum, or better yet, you could try convince her to completely uphaul her personality and be a decent human.” Adrien grimaced, he wasn’t entirely pleased with that character assassination of Chloe.

“I won’t deny that she hasn’t been nice…” he trailed off. Alya scoffed at his reply. She returned to her desk, closing her laptop.

“You’re far too generous with that word choice Adrien, she hasn’t been nice for a long time,” Alya shook her head, resting her hands on the desk, “I just need the heat off Marinette while she’s getting back on her feet, this is eating her inside, I’m worried she’s going to spiral further than she already is.” Nino nodded in agreement with Alya while Adrien averted his gaze, ashamed of his friend’s behaviour.

“I know… Listen I’ll talk to Chloe but I can’t guarantee results…” Adrien’s words drifted as Alya smiled and prepared her things to leave.

“Likewise, then, Golden Boy.” She said her goodbyes and left the room, leaving Adrien and Nino alone.

* * *

Marinette felt dread overcome her as she stepped into school the next day. She was drained from the moment she woke up despite an even amount of sleep.

“Marinette!” she turned around to see Alya approaching with Nino in tow. Normally, a cheerful reply would follow but she didn’t even have the energy to care for it. Alya, upon seeing her closer, asked if she was feeling okay.

“I’m fine, I just feel a bit tired that’s all,” Marinette turned ahead, avoiding their concerned looks, “c’mon, let’s just go inside.”

In class, Juleka and Rose stood up before the teacher arrived, smiling warmly at Marinette. “So, Marinette, we wanted to give you a proper welcome back from everyone in the class.” Rose started, her voice shaking with excitement.

Juleka pulled out the card from the class, “We all made this card for you.” Her words were brief but the kindness behind their gesture was enough to make Marinette smile. She stood before the class and opened the card. Her smile, however, quickly dropped and the card rattled as her hands lost their grip.

The open card, now on the floor, could be seen by everyone and to their shock had been vandalised with the same cruel taunt Marinette received on the day of her father’s funeral.

The words read “ _Welcome Back Marinette ~~Dupain~~ -Cheng_” Marinette felt hot tears stream down her face, her eyes burned and her body felt like jelly. She looked around the room and saw Chloe smiling smugly at her seat. Without another thought, Marinette stumbled towards Chloe, her heartbeat rang louder with every step she took.

She stopped in front of Chloe, who had taken to admiring her nails as though nothing had happened and feigned surprise and laughed haughtily to see a distraught Marinette in front of her.

“Oh, Marinette you look absolutely terrifying, whatever is the ma-” her words were cut short by screams from Marinette. They were loud and agonising; she clutched her chest as she fell to her knees.

“Why?!” Marinette’s voice broke as she screamed more. By now the teacher had rushed to the classroom. The scene before her was explained and she immediately sent Chloe to the principal’s office along with Marinette.

Adrien picked up the card from the ground; seeing his friends work left a sickening feeling in his stomach. He turned out of the classroom with the card before the teacher could stop him. His chest felt tight, his stomach was in knots and his throat felt clamped but he continued to run until he reached the principal’s office and stopped at the door to listen in.

“Now girls, take a seat and I will be calling both of your parents in so we can all get to the bottom of this.” The Principal’s voice was somewhat muffled but Adrien made the words out clearly enough.

“Excuse me, I didn’t do anything sir, in fact I’m feeling very attacked and I’ll be sure to let my father know how I have been infringed upon today.” Chloe argued. Marinette remained silent, her eyes were sore from her tears and she felt the strong urge to rest. The principal hushed Chloe before turning to Marinette.

“Miss Marinette, I understand that you are going through a very difficult time right now but it is very inappropriate to lash out at a classmate. The school does offer free counselling sessions if you need to talk to someone.” The principal’s words were less reassuring given his ignorance to the situation. Adrien had an idea come to mind and slid the card under the door before running out of the school to execute his plan.

Meanwhile, the principal noticed the card slide under the door and picked it up to open it, horrified by the contents. “Miss Bourgeoise, I believe you have some explaining to do.” He sat down with a deep sigh.

* * *

Marinette’s mother and Chloe’s father arrived promptly after being called. Chloe looked to her father and immediately denied playing a hand in the incident while Marinette’s mother held her daughters hand with a strong, comforting grip throughout the ordeal.

“Mr Damocles, it seems my daughter has been terrorised by this young lady, I cannot have my precious Chloe being treated like this in your institution.” Mayor Bourgeoise said. The Principal acknowledged his argument and proceeded to show the card to him.

“Mayor Bourgeoise, I won’t deny that Marinette was very upset at Chloe, however I do believe something has happened under my nose and I am determined to get to the bottom of this card that has very deeply upset her.” Mayor Bourgeoise’s eyes widened as he read the card. He stood his ground however, declaring there was no proof his daughter had anything to do with the card. Marinette wanted to crawl into a ball, she wanted more than anything to not be in the room or this situation.

“I’m sorry Mr Damocles, my understanding of the situation is limited but Marinette seems very upset now. Is there any way we can take a walk so I can calm her down?” Sabine asked, however Mayor Bourgeoise had little patience for the situation and insisted on a solution immediately.

“My dear Chloe is being villainised without any proof sir, what do you have to say for yourself?” the Mayor continued, working himself up.

“Mayor Bourgeoise, I understand your concern but without Marinette’s side of the story we cannot continue. I’d like to ask that we reconvene next week perhaps so we may discuss the situation with calmer minds.”

With that, the meeting was ended. Sabine asked Marinette what had happened but she was only met with silence. As a solution she took Marinette to the park on the way home and together they sat quietly, listening to the twinkling laughter of children and feeling the summer breeze drift along.

“I understand Marinette, if you don’t want to talk about it right now. I know this is too much to ask, but when we go back next week, I want to be able to get to the bottom of this issue.” She had her arm around Marinette, who continued to stare mindlessly at the ground. They stayed together in the park for a few hours, before Sabine decided to go home. Marinette, however, wanted to stay.

So many thoughts ran through her mind that her head felt numb. She wasn’t willing to process it all yet. The insult had eaten any resolve she had left in her and she wanted nothing more than her father to come back and tell her everything would be okay.

A phone call pulled Marinette out of her spiralling mind; she hesitantly answered.

“Marinette, where are you? Are you okay? What happened, did Chloe get suspended?” It was Alya’s voice. Marinette took a deep breath before attempting to speak.

“It’s… fine.” Her words were shaky, something that only added to Alya’s concerns.

“You don’t sound fine,” Alya interrupted before Marinette continued, “look, where are you exactly? I’m going to hang out with you after school, okay?” Marinette stumbled through explaining where she was and the conversation ended there. She waited there for what felt like an hour before a face she had dreaded seeing turned up.

Rather than Alya turning up, Adrien was the figure coming towards her. As he approached, Marinette felt the urge to throw up and turned her head away to avoid looking at him.

“Marinette…” Adrien’s voice trailed as he noticed her head turn, he was determined to make things right however and continued, “Alya told me I would find you here.” He shuffled in front of her awkwardly before asking if he could take a seat beside her. She wanted to protest but couldn’t find the words. He took her silence as permission and sat down beside her, taking a card out of his bag.

“I’ve been trying to find the opportunity to say this to you.” He started. Marinette braced herself for the impact of his words, “I wanted to say… I’m sorry.” Marinette felt her heart skip a beat and coughed in response.

“Are you okay?” He put a hand on her shoulder and noticed her eyes were red and puffy and face was blotchy. He took out a tissue for her, which she took cautiously.

“You don’t have to talk, and you don’t have to forgive me either, all I ask is that you listen to why I’m sorry.” Marinette conceded and he went on, “Before I transferred to this school, I was home schooled. Chloe’s family and my family were quite close so, growing up, Chloe was my only friend.” He looked down, choosing his next words carefully, “For a long time, she was the only person I talked to outside my family…” Marinette shifted uncomfortably next to him, “I know she can be… mean but she does have a kind side as well, she’s just… I don’t know really.”

“Don’t try to apologise for her.” Marinette interrupted, her voice quavered with the memory of Chloe’s taunts. Adrien smiled weakly and continued.

“My point is, when I defended her last week, I didn’t know the full story.” Marinette scoffed at his words, shaking her head, “I know,” he said, “I know how wrong it was of me to do that, given that I can understand how you’re feeling with that…” He swallowed, preparing himself for his next words, “I lost my mother... nearly five years ago.” Marinette, for the first time, looked at him and saw his eyes had darkened.

“She went missing and they never found out why… My father shut down because of it, nothing has been the same since she disappeared.” His hands shook as the words left his mouth. Marinette found herself resting her hand on one of his own, he didn’t object to it.

“I’m sorry for your loss…” she started, he put his free hand on her own and expressed his sentiments likewise.

“I know what you’re feeling, and what Chloe did… I don’t think she understands what she’s done.” Adrien continued, “I’m sorry that you’re going through this. And I know we don’t know each other well but,” Adrien met Marinette’s eyes with a warmth she had been craving for weeks, “if you need someone to talk to, I can listen.” Her heart fluttered at his words and she put her hands in her lap, suddenly aware of how close he was.

A quiet thank you was all she could manage to say, but they remained seated like that until the sun fell to the horizon. The silence between them wasn’t awkward, it was more a solemn calmness that settled comfortably in the air. He eventually had to leave however, and as he left, reminded her to read the card he had given her. She smiled gently at him, and picked it up as he left.

The card was filled with glitter and had a personal message from all her classmates. Tears walloped in her eyes as she scanned each message before finally settling on Adrien’s.

 _I hope we can be friends._ It read. The words were simple but Marinette felt a warmth she hadn’t experienced since before her father’s passing through Adrien’s words. She closed her eyes, taking in the sounds of tweeting birds in the afternoon and leaves rustling in the trees surrounding her, and she smiled to herself.

“That would be nice.”

* * *

_Marinette and Adrien stood side by side looking over the Seine. The night lights created a soft air, however the mood between them was anything but soft._

_“Sometimes, I wish we had never met.” She said._  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the lack of updating, kind of got writers block, kind of got busy. Hopefully I'll update it again before next year lol.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first properly written fan fiction in nearly 7 years. I hope you enjoy it.  
> Thank you for taking the time to read :)


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